BEIJING: Landslides in southwest China destroyed homes and caused a highway bridge to collapse on Saturday, killing at least two people and leaving around 17 others missing, authorities said.
State broadcaster CCTV said "local mountain torrents and landslides" swept away part of Ridi village in Garze Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Sichuan province.
In a separate statement, Garze's local government said "a sudden mountain torrent and landslide" caused a highway tunnel bridge to collapse along the highway between Kangding and Luding. Traffic was suspended along stretches of two highways in Garze, the government said in a further statement.
Garze lies in a mountainous area at the foothills of the Himalayas and has a large Tibetan population.
Officials had confirmed that at least three vehicles had plunged off the road, carrying six people of whom "one person has been rescued and five are missing", the government said in a social media post.
A string of natural disasters woes China
China has seen a string of natural disasters this summer, many linked to extreme weather.
State media reported on Friday said that the death toll from another highway bridge collapse in northern Shaanxi province last month had risen from 12 to 38, with 24 still missing.
In May, a highway in southern China was collapsed after days of rain, leaving 48 dead.